Delight as submarine museum sails nearer to its cash target
A museum which is trying to restore a historic relic of the Second World War has taken a huge step towards its goal.
The Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport has been successful in the first stage of obtaining a cash injection from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore HMS Alliance – the only surviving Second World War submarine preserved in the United Kingdom.
In a show of support for the project, the Heritage Lottery Fund today pledged 205,000 to further the museum's progress.
That will be used to help lay out a detailed plan for the submarine's restoration to be submitted to the lottery fund in two years' time in the hope of obtaining a full 3m grant.
Bob Mealings, acting director of the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, said: 'We are delighted that HLF has recognised the value of HMS Alliance and importance of the project.
'The staff, trustees and volunteers at the museum have all worked long and hard to reach this stage. Now we look forward to moving on to the detailed planning work.
'HMS Alliance is in desperate need of restoration, suffering from severe corrosion and decay.
'The grant will allow the Submarine Museum to realise ambitious plans, not only to restore the vessel but also to build a hard standing platform under the vessel that will make its care and maintenance sustainable for the long-term – as well as increasing the level of access visitors have to the submarine and the fabulous waterfront of Portsmouth Harbour.'
The museum's most important heritage asset, HMS Alliance, also stands as a memorial to all Royal Navy submariners who have lost their lives while on active duty.
An estimated one million people have visited the submarine since she first went on public display in 1981.
The full cost of restoration will be 4.8m, so the 3m lottery grant in two years' time is crucial.
Rear Admiral Roger Lane-Nott, chairman of the trustees at the museum, said: 'This is tremendous news and I am very grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for its support on such an worthwhile project.
'We are confident that we can restore HMS Alliance for future generations and in a sustainable way. We have much to do but this is a very important milestone.'
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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